"He was very frail, but when you greeted him he was very animated and he spoke very directly and personally," says Duca. "But when he wasn't speaking to you he would go into a quiet mode almost as if he was conserving his strength."

Bishop Duca says this announcement caught him by surprise, but adds, "it makes sense, given that Pope Benedict has been a very thoughtful Pope and has often talked about this possibility in the past."

He says this will give the Church enough time to set up a Conclave of Cardinals quickly to get a new Pope elected. The Bishop says we could have a new Pope in place by Easter.

What will happen with Pope Benedict now? Bishop Duca says he believes Pope Benedict will remove himself to a quiet place and "devote himself to reading, writing and prayer."